It is often said, “I want thinner thighs, sexier legs, and a tight tummy!” Many people who undergo massive weight loss are plagued with redundant skin issues which can only be resolved with body contouring. Dr. Jewell is a leader in this field as one of the co-developers of VASER® ultrasonic lipoplasty (www.vaser.com), a consultant for Ethicon EndoSurgery’s Harmonic Scalpel (www.ethiconendo.com) and acting Medical Director of LipoSonix (www.liposonix.com). He offers all forms of body contouring procedures including VASER® lipoplasty, procedures to contour the abdominal region, the arms, and lower extremity lifts following massive weight loss. Each patient’s needs for improvement in body contour require an individualized approach. Patients seeking these procedures are advised that if they are close to their optimal body weight or normal body mass index (BMI) that they will be better candidates than overweight individuals.

VASER® ultrasonic lipoplasty offers patients the ability to have improvements in virtually all body regions. It overcomes limitations of earlier lipoplasty techniques and has a shorter recovery, with less pain and bruising. It allows for improvements in difficult to treat areas such as flanks, bra rolls, upper abdomen, male breast, and in secondary lipoplasty cases. It is also effective in delicate areas such as the face, neck, chin, and inner thighs. Lipoplasty works best when patients have good skin tone and are close to their optimal weight or BMI.

Some patients lack adequate skin tone for VASER® lipoplasty alone, yet can undergo procedures that combine lipoplasty with procedures such as abdominoplasty and body lifts. For many individuals, this gives the best of lipoplasty to thin a body area, combined with excision of excess skin and tightening of deeper layers such as the abdominal wall.

VASER® lipoplasty is performed on an outpatient basis by Dr. Jewell at the McKenzie Surgery Center that is located in Eugene, Oregon.

Procedures to tighten the abdomen are often considered to be “the ultimate fashion accessory” in terms of providing improvements in loose skin, stretch marks, and looseness in the abdominal wall after a woman has finished having her family. This involves the surgical removal of loose skin and tightening of the abdominal wall. For some patients with abdominal wall looseness and relatively tight skin, a more limited version of the abdominoplasty is designed by Dr. Jewell. This does not involve an incision around the belly button (umbilicus), but a smaller incision in the lower abdomen.

The standard abdominoplasty procedure involves a more extensive lower abdominal incision and greater removal of loose skin between your existing belly button and the pubic region. Tightening of the abdominal wall can be maximized and a new hole for your umbilicus is made by Dr. Jewell. Dr. Jewell has developed a technique to give the new belly button region a natural appearance by creating an “innie” effect.

The newest development in abdominal body contouring that Dr. Jewell offers is the lipoabdominoplasty. As mentioned above, this offers the best of VASER® lipoplasty to reduce the amount of fat and thickness in the abdominal wall, waist and hip region in addition to the tightening benefits of abdominoplasty procedures (limited and standard). The combination effect of these two techniques gives patients the potential of achieving the best of both procedures.

For most patients, all abdominoplasty procedures can be performed in an outpatient surgical facility. Some patients may require overnight hospital stay if they have more extensive needs. Patients seeking abdominoplasty and body lift procedures are advised that these are operations for non-smokers due to a high risk of nicotine-induced skin necrosis, poor healing, and scarring.

Dr. Jewell performs techniques to reduce upper arm fullness and tighten loose skin. These offer patients another option in upper extremity body contouring that can improve the appearance of the upper arm and arm pit or trunk if necessary. Brachioplasty procedures are also performed in an outpatient surgery unit by Dr. Jewell.

In addition to VASER® Lipoplasty and all forms of abdominoplasty procedures, Dr. Jewell offers lower body lift procedures. These are an extensive form of body contouring designed to lift and tighten lower body skin on both the front and back side of individuals who have lost large amounts of weight through diet or weight loss surgery. These procedures are performed with a 1 or 2 day hospital stay. Patients seeking lower body lifts are advised that they must be in good health and have normal body metabolic chemistry values in order to be considered for this extensive procedure by Dr. Jewell.

All body contouring procedures have risk associated with them. It is important that you understand what is involved with each of them as they relate to your particular needs and the risks and benefits that are involved. Dr. Jewell will discuss with you after a consultation his recommendations for body contouring surgery and what is involved with a decision to undergo these procedures.

Not far on the horizon will be the ability to remove fat with non-invasive procedures. Dr. Jewell is currently acting as Medical Director to Liposonix which has developed a device which delivers ultrasonic energy treatments. Clinical trials to spot reduce fat without surgery should be underway soon when approved by the FDA.